


Of sleepless nights and morning sunrises with you

by Revelonce



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revelonce/pseuds/Revelonce
Summary: A chance meeting of two strangers at dawn.An insomniac who woke up from another nightmare.A nurse who finished her midnight shift.Both find solace in the morning sunrise.
Relationships: Park Sooyoung | Joy/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	1. A Chance Meeting

### A Chance Meeting

‘She’s there again…’

The dark haired woman thought as she observed the petite woman before her. They locked eyes for a split second then the petite woman broke the contact as if acknowledging her presence but never making a sound in the process. She returned her gaze back to the horizon. The noticeably taller woman sat down to the bench next to hers. Her coat flapped to the wind as it blew, noting the colder gush of air a reminder of the coming of winter. The petite woman shivered in the cold wind as her clothing was definitely not enough to keep her warm.

‘She’s a nurse, maybe a doctor, that blue scrub suit is telling enough.’

The two spent the next few minutes in silence as they both stared into the horizon, waiting for the inevitable sunrise. Another gush of wind elicited both to shiver. The taller of the two snuck a peak to the other noticing the other shivering in the cold. She stood up then walked towards her.

“Here.”

“Oh.”

“Drape that around your neck. It’s way too cold for you to roam around wearing nothing but that.”

The taller woman gave her the green scarf she was wearing putting it above the head of the smaller woman. She also started removing her mittens when the petite woman spoke up.

“You didn’t have to! How can I return this?”

“You don’t need to. Here take these as well. Wear them.”

The taller woman gave her the mittens then started walking away. She looked at her watch and cursed at herself as she didn’t realize she had stuff left to do. Her pace quickened after the realization, only turning back to steal a last glance to the woman behind her.

The petite woman was left speechless as the other’s rapidly shrinking silhouette disappeared to the corner of a building. She then lifted the scarf to wrap around her neck when she noticed the embroidered name in it.

“Park Sooyoung, huh.”

\-----

It was not the first time the two met.

_After another sleepless night, Sooyoung decided to venture out onto the nearest park. It was almost dawn and she figured that she won’t be getting anymore sleep but instead stay up for the sunrise, and the inevitable start of her shift._

_There she saw her for the first time, seating on the same bench, staring at the same horizon. Her small figure was the first thing she noticed and the fact that she was wearing the same scrub suit. Deciding not to bother the stranger before her, she chose to sit down to the bench next to hers and wait for the sunrise she came for._

_A few minutes passed with neither of the two speaking up, as if having a mutual agreement to preserve the silence. Sooyoung glanced at her companion. She had a small figure accompanied by a small face. Her cheeks flustered red due to the cold and her eyes had bags under them while her complexion was a bit pale. Sooyoung felt that she was tired._

_A few more minutes passed as the sun started to rise from the horizon. Sooyoung decided it was time to leave, stealing a parting glance to the woman who was left staring into the sunrise._

\-----

Sooyoung’s hurried footsteps was heard as she was rapidly approaching the backdoor of the cafe she was working at. Once she entered, she tied the apron and started with the morning preparations for opening.

The rest of her morning shift was just an endless sea of faces and never ending orders upon orders. She left the counter as the morning rush for caffeine died down and the customers started dwindling. She went back to the employee’s lounge and sat down on one of the sofas there. She feels another migraine incoming and quickly downed two pills of painkillers with the glass of water she procured. She draped her arm towards her head, wanting the painful throbbing of her head to subside.

It’s almost been a year since she left home and never looking back. A home she can never go back to. Her nightmares, insomnias, and migraines started around the time she settled into the apartment she got for herself. It’s a vicious cycle really. Waking up only from a few hours of sleep due to a nightmare, and having a migraine after due to having not enough sleep. She wonders how she can still function with these problems.

As the pain subsides, she glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that her short break is almost over as lunch is already approaching. She readied herself for another wave of customers wanting their midday caffeine fix.

\-----

Sooyoung almost dropped dead on her mattress once she came home. The fatigue of her workday caught up to her and she drifted into sleep, forgetting the fact that she has yet to eat nor wash up.

Sooyoung woke up a few hours later sweating heavily as another nightmare invaded her dream. She reached out to her bedside to grab a bottle of water. She drank it hoping to calm herself down before checking her phone for the time.

“3:02 am… God, I could’ve used more sleep.”

Deciding that she could no longer sleep as the drowsiness was chased away by the sudden onset of pain in her head. She stood up and went to the bathroom to get herself two pills of panikillers. She waited for the pain to subside before stepping inside the shower. She started the shower on a warmer setting to get herself cleansed off of the grime and sweat from her shift.

Sooyoung checked her fridge for food, her hair still dripping wet from the bath. Finding none, she dried her hair and put on some warmer clothes. She went out to grab herself some food at the nearby convenience store.

\-----

‘Huh, she’s there again.’, Sooyoung thought seeing her again on the same bench.

The woman was now wearing a coat and a scarf with her scrub suit. The woman’s gaze however was not affixed to the horizon as usual. Her eyes kept darting around until she met Sooyoung’s gaze. She stood up with a paper bag in her hand and walked towards where Sooyoung was seating.

“Thank you for your scarf and mittens,” said the petite woman as she handed over the paper bag to Sooyoung which she accepted.

“I got those dry cleaned because I was afraid it would be damaged by normal washing. I-is that okay?” The petite woman stuttered out as another cold wind blew over the two.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. It’s good to at least see you wearing warmer clothes.”

“It’s just that I keep forgetting my coat back at the hospital where I am working.”

‘So she really is a nurse… or a doctor for that matter,’ Sooyoung thought.

An awkward silence settled unto them. The petite woman then decided to share the bench Sooyoung was sitting on. Unable to maintain her composure in the silence, Sooyoung brought out the food she bought from the convenience store. She offered the other a spare sandwich while taking out another for herself.

“I figured I’d meet you again here, and thought you’d want to eat.”

The petite woman paused for a second before accepting the offer mouthing a small thank you in the process. Another bout of silence consumed them both as they ate their sandwiches.

“Seungwan.”

“What?”

“That’s my name,” said the petite woman.

“We never really had a proper introduction to each other. I am Son Seungwan, a nurse at Myung Woo University Hospital.”

“Park Sooyoung, barista at some random cafe.”

\---End---


	2. Memories

_“Yah, unnie! Stop fixing my hair. It’s already good enough,” a young girl pouted as her hair was being fixed. Her cute little nose scrunched up while her eyes squeezed shut in adorable frustration._

_“I think that’s enough, honey. Sorim’s hair won’t get any tidier than that,” an older woman said. “Besides we won’t be long. We’ll just make sure that your auntie is doing okay after her surgery.”_

_“I want to go, too. Too bad my auditions are today.”_

_“You better pass them so you can finally get a job.”_

_“Yeah, they’ll be a piece of cake.”_

_“Yah, appa! Are you done?! I wanna go see auntie!”, Sorim yelled visibly impatient._

_“Yes, yes, I’m coming!”, a distant voice responded. “So are we all ready to go?”, a man said as he arrived to the room._

_“Yes, we’re just waiting for you honey. Sorim’s already getting impatient here,” the older woman replied._

_“Sooyoung, my princess, do well on your auditions ok? We will be home by tomorrow so we can celebrate then!”, the man said cupping Sooyoung’s cheeks in his hands and eventually squeezing them._

_“Stop that! I get it, I get it! Go already, I bet auntie is waiting for you guys.”_

_“Ok, we’ll be going then,” older woman said while slinging her bag to her shoulder.  
  
“Bye bye unnie! I’ll see you tomorrow!”  
  
Sooyoung bent down and hugged Sorim before giving her a kiss on her cheeks. “Make sure to not bother auntie too much. She just went through an operation so don’t stress her out, ok?”_

_Sorim replied with a nod and a beaming smile._

A sight forever burned to her memory.

\-----

Sooyoung woke up in cold sweat with labored breaths. She grabbed the water bottle by her table and drank from it greedily before looking at her phone for the time.

“Ugh, 2:46? I could’ve gotten more sleep before work.”

She stood up from her bed and walked to her bathroom. She stood before the mirror and glanced at her face. Her eye had large bags and her skin and lips were paler than normal. She looked thin, too thin to be called healthy. A sudden but familiar throb of pain emerged as she clutched her temples effectively stopping the silent observation of her form. She took out two pills of painkillers and downed them before sitting down on the toilet. She waited for the painkillers to take effect before going to the shower and starting it. She let the warm water to wash away her thoughts.

“So it’s 11 months already, huh.” She unconsciously caressed her fading callouses.

\----

It’s December now and the need for a warm beverage drove people to flock in cafes even more than usual. Sooyoung’s was not an exception as another flood of customers was present wanting their morning caffeine fix.

“One Macchiato and two Americanos, will that be all?”

Sooyoung’s hand glided it’s way to the coffee pot as if on autopilot and proceeded to complete the customer’s order. She handed the order and likewise the customer handed the payment for the beverages. After an hour of what seemed like an endless swarm of orders, the customers dwindled giving a short respite for the barista.

Life has become monotonous lately. She hasn’t seen Seungwan for a few weeks now ever since their initial introduction. She wondered if something happened to her. She stopped mulling over her thoughts as another customer came up to the counter.

“Woah, you really are a barista,” a familiar voice entered Sooyoung’s ears.

‘Speak of the devil.’

“Fancy meeting you here. What can I do for you?” Sooyoung responded with the patented cashier smile.

“One Americano to go please. I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Haven’t seen you at the park lately, have you changed shifts?” Sooyoung’s body went on autopilot completing Seungwan’s order. She glanced at the petite woman, noting the absence of her scrub suit replaced instead with a tucked-in flannel shirt, which was way too big for her, and jeans. A pair of black boots completed her outfit. She almost didn’t recognize her for the pair of glasses sitting on the bridge of her small nose.

“Yeah, my coworker asked me to switch shifts with her for past few weeks though that ends tomorrow. I’ll be back to my usual mind-numbing graveyard shift again.”

“One Americano for the hard working nurse.”

Sooyoung handed the finished beverage to Seungwan and likewise, Seungwan handed her money as payment.

“Thank you. I’ve got to go now. I still have to cover the last shift for my coworker”, Seungwan bid her goodbye to the tall barista before leaving the cafe with her coffee in hand. Sooyoung was left staring at the door for a moment before returning to back to manning the cashier. The rest of her day was the same old grind with endless, unremarkable faces.

\------

Sooyoung opened the door to her apartment and automatically went to her bedroom and dropped onto her bed. She was soundly sleeping not even a minute after her body made contact with the bed.

\-----

_She already expected that no one will greet her when she came home. It felt a bit lonesome without the usual bouts of laughter coming from her sister as she greeted Sooyoung while asking about how her audition went. The aromatic smell of dinner was absent as well as the faint harmonies coming from the mini studio upstairs._

_Sooyoung went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to take out one of the meals her mom readied for her. She put it inside the microwave and waited as her food was being reheated. Her dinner was a bit tasteless, not that her mom was a bad cook but rather the sense of loneliness made the food taste bland. She washed her dishes before going upstairs to the mini studio of her father. She grabbed one of the Vinyl records and played it. The soothing music made her sleepy and soon she dozed off in the couch she was sitting on._

_She would have never imagined that the phone call the next morning will change her life entirely._

Sooyoung woke up again in the ungodly hours of night in cold sweat. She took a moment to calm herself before looking at her phone for the time. She was already accustomed to this, the nightmares, the constant _reminder_ of what happened. She felt some tears leak out before she recomposed herself and blinked the tears away. She stood up hoping that a cold shower will shock her away from those thoughts.

\-----

A familiar figure was sitting by the bench. Sooyoung immediately recognized her silhouette under the dim streetlights. She approached the young nurse before her, still clad in her work clothes partially hidden by her coat. Once she reached the bench, Seungwan spared a glance to her and a smile worked its way to her tired face. Sooyoung felt heat within her chest but spared no thought to it and sat down beside her.

“Nice to see you again here”, Sooyoung told her.

“I missed watching the sunrise. I never had the time nor the energy to do it when I switched shifts.”

The two spent the next hour enjoying each other’s company in comfortable silence and waited for the inevitable rising of the sun, signaling the start of a new day. Once the sky was bathed in the orange glow, the two bid their farewells and went their separate ways; one going home to rest her weary body, the other going to her mind numbing shift.

\--End--


	3. The Nurse

In a sea of medical professionals, a small, petite nurse stood grasping her small duffel bag in anxious anticipation.

“Remember, green for minor injuries, yellow for those that doesn’t need immediate attention, red for those in the critical, and black for the deceased or those with no hope.”

The last line stung the nurse the most.

An hour ago, two buses collided and garnered significant casualties in the process. A total of more or less 100 people were split amongst the two nearest hospitals, one of which was the one she was working for.

“5 more minutes until they arrive.”

Her small hands gripped the strap of her duffel bag tighter as the seconds ticked by until the first wave of patients arrive. She never had an actual triage until now. Of course they had simulations in medical school, but as they say, reality is always far from any simulations. The actions they take in the next few minutes can determine whether or not a patient lives or not. She unconsciously swallowed a lump in her throat as she heard the distant sirens of ambulances coming ever so closer and closer.

“Seungwan.”

The petite nurse was shaken from her thoughts as her name was called by her superior.

“I trust that you are familiar with the standard Triage procedure. This is your first one, isn’t it?”

“Yes, doctor,” Seungwan replied with a tone of respect. Her thoughts were cut off as the doors of the hospital opened with panicking paramedics escorting a stretcher to triage area.

“A yellow. Dr. Oh, escort them to the nearest bed. Seungwan, go with her and do whatever she says then come back here.”  
  
\-----

“I need two more bags of blood here!”

Seungwan’s hands were covered in blood, desperately trying to apply pressure to the bleeding leg of the woman. The bandages were quickly stained with blood. Her brow furrowed in frustration as more blood kept pouring out despite her best effort.

Her ministrations were cut short by a hand gripping her own. She looked up to the owner of the hand to see that the doctor she was with. He shook his head, telling her to stop. He reached out to the red ribbon tied around the wrist of the patient and cut it off. He reached into his own duffel bag and took out one black ribbon and replaced the one he took off.

“Time of death is 10:23 p.m., cause is hypovolemic shock due to femoral artery rupture and excessive hemorrhage in the upper thigh,” his gruff and ragged voice was laced with grief and exhaustion as he wrote down the details on the patient’s files. He looked at the petite nurse before him and nodded, wordlessly implying that she should take care of the things left to do. He departed shortly after, bearing the worst news for the family of the deceased.

Seungwan’s hands dropped the blood-stained bandages in the trash bin near her. She steeled herself and held her tears in bay. She wiped her blood stained hands on her scrubs before getting a sheet to drape over the recently deceased patient. Her short respite was cut as another doctor called for help. She quickly hurried to her side and provided whatever assistance she could.

The hospital triage area was swamped with patients. The first wave of patients were dealt with fairly quickly and easily as most of them required little to no attention but the succeeding waves were the most difficult. Several red patients came and soon the medical personnel were spread too thin to accommodate the new arrivals. The once pristine white floor of the triage area was now dirtied by the blood of both the living and the dead.

It took more or less 18 exhausting hours from start to finish before all the patients were accounted for and treated. Most will live on with little to no scars, a few lost a functioning body part or two, but some will never come home at all.

\-----

Seungwan was startled awake by the opening of the staff lounge door. She was called earlier than her normal shift due to the accident. She barely had any sleep from her previous shift and after a long grueling task of saving patients left and right, she was drained and barely awake. She unconsciously nodded off after she sat down. Her blue scrub suit was dirtied by various bodily fluids of patients she tended to today. She greeted her fellow nurses before standing up and walking up to the shower room.

Once she had cleaned herself of the blood, grime, and sweat of her shift, she dressed up and left for the door. It was already 5:23 a.m. but she wagered she could still see the sunrise before going home to rest.

\-----

Sooyoung arrived in the park saw an adorable sight, well adorable for her. Seungwan was in the bench with her feet up. She was hugging her legs and rested her head on her knees. The hood of her coat was up and covered the head of the nurse. She was sleeping soundly and Sooyoung thought it would be a crime for her to wake the tired nurse. Sooyoung sat down beside her and looked at her sleeping companion. Her exhaustion was very evident to the taller girl. Sooyoung smiled when Seungwan scrunched her nose in her sleep, and made her wonder what the dream she was having right now. She sat down beside her.

Sooyoung figured that sleeping out here in the cold was not conducive to her health, she then proceeded to wake up the sleeping nurse with an ever so gentle push.

“Seungwan-ah… It’s not good sleeping out here like this,” the barista said in a light but audible whisper. Her words however fell on deaf ears as the sleeping nurse was not woken from her slumber. She tried a little harder, raising her voice a little bit but not so much so as to not startle the tired nurse.

“Seungwan-ah… Wake up,” the nurse stirred awake. Sooyoung’s warmth subconsciously drew the half-awake nurse. With half-lidded eyes, she scooted closer and closer to Sooyoung.

“Sooyoungie~”, the nurse suddenly cuddled up to the barista, encircling her arms to the other’s right arm, trying to get closer to her newly found heat source. She then rested her head into the crevice of Sooyoung’s shoulder and proceeded to resume her slumber. Needless to say, Sooyoung was stunned at the sudden turn of events. She tried to rouse up Seungwan but her sleep was too deep for her to respond to any waking calls. She could feel Seungwan’s hot breath with each exhale. She could feel the feeble warmth that emanated from Seungwan’s tiny frame. Sooyoung was frozen in place. Unable to move, Sooyoung resigned her fate and let the other have her rest. A few tranquil minutes later, she was engulfed by the same need to sleep. She rested her head against Seungwan’s and embraced the call of her body begging for rest.

\-----

Light brown eyes fluttered open. The owner of said eyes, still groggy from her nap, surveyed her surroundings. She felt warmer and noticed the thing or rather the person that was the source of the heat. Due to their position, she wasn’t able to take a clear look at her face, but she felt familiar to her. She shifted herself and carefully woke the person in question. A pair of black eyes soon opened.

“Good morning.”

“Oh… You see, I, ah…I tried to get you to wake up. And I thought you would wake up but then you-,” she stopped when she noticed that the other was giggling at her flustered reply.

“It’s ok.”

“I thought you would’ve found it weird,” the taller of the two replied with a hint of uncertainty.

“I mean it. It’s okay, Sooyoung. I understand. It was my fault in the first place. My coworkers always told me that I was the hardest one to wake up,” the shorter one replied with a smile.

Sooyoung felt a weight lift from her chest but soon found another one swell up in the pit of her stomach. The sun’s light framed her face in manner that accentuated her every remarkable feature. The glint of her eye, her small button nose, her puff cheeks, the soft and rounded shape of her face, the red inviting lips, her light brown hair, her pale and fair complexion. Given time, Sooyoung could’ve said more but she had to snap back to reality when she realized she was still staring. Sooyoung smiled back to hide her embarrassment.

A surprising slight breeze washed over the two, rustling the leaves in its wake. “Hey, would you like to come to my apartment for breakfast?” Seungwan didn’t know what came over her but the invite was just as surprising for her and Sooyoung. “I will have the next two days off after what happened in the hospital. It would be nice if you can come,” the nurse added.

Sooyoung was stunned yet again and contemplated her options. She was already running late as her shift started hours ago, and she really doesn’t want to deal with her manager right now.

“Sure.”

“Don’t you have work today?”

“It’s my day off today, too.” A white lie but Seungwan would never know.

\-----

The pair arrived at the nurse’s apartment after a few minutes of walking. Once the door was opened, Sooyoung surveyed the modest apartment. It was clean, as expected of someone who worked in the medical field. It had a small kitchen with a dining island nearby and the living room had a couch and several chairs with a television set in the middle. She saw a short hallway which contained 4 doors, with 2 doors on each side of the hallway. Seungwan had a rather large bookshelf filled with various books on Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, and other medical related subjects. The whole apartment felt cozy and very lived-in.

Sooyoung’s observations as the sound of crackling oil was heard. Soon, the aromatic smell of bacon invaded the barista’s nostrils.

“Hey Sooyoung, is bacon, eggs, and hash ok with you?” the nurse asked, now clad in an apron with her hair tied to a loose ponytail.

“Yeah.”

“And how would you like your eggs cooked?”

“A bit runny if you can. Thank you.”

“Alright! You can sit down anywhere while you wait. This won’t be long.”

Sooyoung nodded which was left unnoticed as the nurse continued her work. She went up to the island and sat down on one of the high chairs and watched the other cook. A few minutes later, a plate of food was placed in front of the barista.

“Do you live alone?” Sooyoung asks, as she started to dig in to the food Seungwan made. She noted that the food was well cooked. Seungwan was a good cook.

“Yeah. My parents and my sister are both in Canada right now. My sister got a scholarship grant for Schulich School of Music, McGill University. She’s really talented in music production and she got scouted by one of the directors while he was here in Korea.”

“Wow, so she’s studying abroad? What year is she in currently?”

“She’s in her second year already. My parent’s still thinks she’s a child so they figured they’d go to Canada with her when she first started. They were planning to migrate there in the future anyways so that was the perfect opportunity to go,” Seungwan said. “They bought me this apartment since our old house was too far from the hospital and they figured I’ll be lonely on that big house.”

“This is still way too big for one person though,” Sooyoung pointed out, gesturing the place.

“Yeah, it does get lonely around here with just me here. I miss them already, haven’t seen them since they went to Canada. I mean, I call them frequently but nothing beats the real thing you know?”

‘Of course. I know that feeling all too well, Seungwan,’ Sooyoung thought. She just smiled and nodded before proceeding to get another mouthful of food. The silence that followed was cut short when Sooyoung’s phone rang.

“Hello,” Sooyoung answered. “Oh, I won’t be able to come today. I am not feeling well at the moment. Ok. Got it. Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Who was that?” Seungwan asked.

“My manager. She was wondering where I was. I just told her I’ll be skipping work today.”

“I thought you said that today was your day off?”

“Oh, did I say that? Oops,” she then got another mouthful of food. “Besides, free food is free food. Can’t refuse your offer now can I?”

Sooyoung smiled in her defense. Seungwan just giggled at her antics. The meal was done a few minutes later. The barista offered to help the nurse in washing the dishes, to which the nurse agreed. When the washing was done, Sooyoung bid her goodbye to Seungwan, noting that she’ll be back for more in the future. Unable to say no, the nurse just nodded her head in affirmation.

\-----


	4. A Night Out

_The slumbering figure in the couch was awakened by the insistent ringing of a phone. She unwillingly got up, all the while complaining the throbbing pain in her neck as her awkward sleeping position caused it. She picked up the phone and answered without looking at the caller ID._

_“Hello?” Her drowsy voice managed to say._

_“Excuse me, but is this Park Sooyoung?” An unfamiliar voice asked her._

_“Yes, why? I’m sorry but who is this again?”_

_“This is Doctor Song. I am sorry but there has been an accident that happened involving your family.” Sooyoung heart clenched. Her nervous hands almost dropped the phone. “You need to go to Daedong Hospital as soon as possible.”_

_“I’ll be there. C-can you provide me the address?” Sooyoung managed to stutter out. She was fully awake now, any signs of drowsiness was shaken off the moment the news hit her._

_“Yes, I’ll message you the address right here. Please come soon and, I hope you can make it in time,” the final line made that worsening fear in the back of her head spiral out of control. The pit in her stomach deepened as she tried to process what was happening. She hurriedly took off and packed her clothes and any necessities for her trip. She finally got the message and read the address. Busan was still a far ways off and she still needed to book a flight for her to reach it in the fastest time possible._

_Sooyoung hurriedly went outside and waited for the taxi that she called. Once she got in, she immediately ordered the driver towards Gimpo airport._

_Sooyoung was lucky. The next flight to Busan was in the next thirty minutes and there were still seats left for her to get. The next two hours grit on her nerves as she desperately tried to reach the hospital in the soonest possible time._

\------

_“I’m sorry. We tried our best.”_

\-----

Sooyoung’s body shook as she awoke from that dream, or nightmare. She was unable to stop her tears from flowing and she clutched the pillow she was hugging in her sleep and buried her face in the soft material. Her cries, muffled by the pillow, went unheard in her desolate apartment.

“I miss them so, so much.”

\-----

Seungwan was bored.

After Sooyoung left, she finally finished whatever chores she forgot to do. She did her laundry, vacuumed the carpets, cleaned the bathroom, and whatever meager task in between. After several hours of cleaning the massive apartment all by herself, she decided to call it a day and sleep for a long, long time. She turned off her alarms and put her cellphone to silent in order for her to sleep without any disturbances. This was however all for naught as she still woke up from her supposedly extended sleep. Her body clock was still the same and any sign of drowsiness was gone from her person. Now it’s 8 pm and the faint sound of a television changing channels can be heard from the nurse’s apartment.

After thirty minutes of mindless channel surfing, Seungwan finally stood up from the couch. She put on her coat and hastened her pace outside. She needed to do something, and if not, she will die from boredom, figuratively speaking of course.

\-----

Sooyoung sat in the all too familiar bench, in the all too familiar park, at the all too familiar time. A slight frown framed her face as the cold weather was a bit too much for the barista. Still, the cold out here was better than the warmth of her bed. In here, her thoughts was calm and cool, unlike the intense, raging fire in her bed. The faint rustling of the leaves that swayed with every gust of wind calmed every fiber of her being. Her manager called her earlier stating that she can take the next day off if she was still feeling unwell. She was not someone who takes advantage of her manager’s kindness but she figured she needed tomorrow to relax and calm her thoughts so she took the generous offer. The sudden vibration of her phone snapped her out of her self-imposed trance.

_‘Do you wanna get a bottle of Soju with me?’ -Seungwan._

Her eyebrow raised as she didn’t expect the other to message her so quickly after they exchanged numbers earlier. She was typing a response when another message quickly popped up.

_‘Oh god, sorry. That might have seem weird. I mean we just exchanged numbers earlier. But I’m reallllyyyyy bored and all my friends are busy or sleeping right now.’ -Seungwan_

_‘You can say no… I’m sorry for bothering you.’ -Seungwan_

Sooyoung can’t help but smile at the nurse’s messages. She was just as flustered in messages as in real life. She quickly typed out a response.

_‘Sure. Where do you plan to drink?’ -Sooyoung_

_‘Also, I don’t mind. I have nothing to do anyways.’ -Sooyoung_

_‘Oh , goodie! I know a good place. I’ll send you the directions. Meet you there!’ -Seungwan_

A few seconds later, Sooyoung received the address of the bar. She quickly pocketed her phone and picked up her purse before leaving. The place was fairly near her location so she opted to walk instead of hiring a cab.

\-----

It was a quaint little bar. The atmosphere was old fashioned with the wooden floorings and antiques that greeted her by the entrance while soft, warm lights flooded the inside. It was not hard to spot the small nurse with her waving her small hands in the air. Sooyoung hastened her pace towards the booth that Seungwan reserved for the both of them.

“Hi! Glad you can make it!” Seungwan’s awfully cheerful voice greeted her ears.

“I’ve got nothing to do anyways. Did you order already?”

“Not yet, I was waiting for you.”

“How about we start with a bottle of Soju?”

“Good idea.”

\-----

She lost count how many bottles they have drunk. She stopped counting after the 4th bottle. Her hazy eyes landed on her already downed companion, who was already sleeping soundly on the table. Her gaze landed on her companion’s face. Her cheeks were full and rounded, dusted pink by the alcohol. Her closed eyes formed a perfect crescent accompanied by her long lashes. Her nose was pointed and very well defined. Her lips were plump and so intoxicating to look at. Her jawline was sharp and her chin completed the wedge forming a perfect tapered edge to her face. A call from the waiter shook her from her gaze.

The bar was already closing and they needed to vacate the place as soon as possible. She pulled out her wallet and gave her credit card to the waiter in order to pay for their drinks. She then called a taxi to pick them up from the place. She then turned her attention to her sleeping companion. A tap or two on her sleeping form was futile as the sleeping beauty didn’t respond. She then tried to shake her awake while calling her name. A fluttering of eyes proved her success.

“Sooyoung, we need to go. The bar is closing already,” Seungwan said to the newly awoken girl. The other responded with an almost inaudible hum and a nod. They both grabbed their bags and coats, and waited outside for the taxi Seungwan called. On the way outside, Sooyoung nearly tripped in her drunken haze. Seungwan slung the barista’s arm around her shoulders to support her.

Once they opened the door, the cold winter winds shook both of them to their core. They sat on a bench outside and waited for the inevitable arrival of their transport. Seungwan’s smaller frame shivered despite the thick layers shielding it. Sooyoung’s arm in her shoulder went down to her waist and pulled her towards the other’s larger frame. She then covered the smaller girl with her own coat. Seungwan allowed the action and snuggled closer to the Sooyoung’s body.

“Hey, Seungwan…”

“Hmm?” A hand grasped her own.

“Can I sleep over? I don’t wanna go back to my apartment.”

“Sure. I have a guest room ready,” she interlaced her fingers against the fingers of the hand grasping hers.

“Ok…” At the utterance of her reply, Sooyoung rested her head on Seungwan’s own and drifted again to sleep.

\-----

A few minutes later, the taxi arrived. Seungwan shook Sooyoung awake again and both got inside. The taxi ride to Seungwan’s apartment was a quiescent affair. Sooyoung, again, fell asleep leaning on Seungwan, her hand never leaving the other’s.

The sound of keys turning the lock mechanisms followed by the sudden flooding of white lights, signaled the arrival of the duo to the nurse’s all too familiar apartment. Seungwan guided Sooyoung towards the reserved guest room. Once they reached the room, Sooyoung fell down to the bed almost immediately. The sound of light snores soon played in the quiet apartment followed by the soft closing of the bedroom door.

Seungwan exited the bedroom as silently as possible. She then went to her own room and got a change of clothes before entering the bathroom. She took a short shower to rid herself of the dirt and grime from her day. She then dried herself off and changed into her sleeping wear. She was about to get into bed herself when she remembered something. The nurse went to the medicine cabinet, got two pills of Advil. She then went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.

Seungwan opened the guest room door as silently as possible so as not to disturbed the slumbering woman inside. She tried to muffle her steps and placed the pills and glass of water to the bedside table. As she was leaving, a hand grabbed hers.

“Please don’t leave me alone. Please…”

A distraught Sooyoung greeted her eyes. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes red and puffy, and her cheeks were riddled with tear stains. Seungwan sat on the bed and scooped up the other in an embrace. Sooyoung continued crying on her shoulder while she kept rubbing circles on her back. She whispered sweet nothings to the crying girl to calm her down. Soon enough, the sobs were replaced by a light snoring. Seungwan tried to leave but Sooyoung’s iron grip prevented her. She didn’t want to wake up the already sleeping girl so she just laid down beside her. Soon, her own tiredness took over her and she was soundly sleeping as well.

\-----

_“I’m sorry. We tried our best,” the doctor said. Behind him stood a petite nurse, looking down to the floor, her hair shadowing her face._

_\---End---_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pls leave constructive comments hehe <3
> 
> Follow me at [twitter](https://twitter.com/RevelOnce_).


	5. After the fact

_ “Unnie!!! Wake up! You said we can watch Angel Beats when I finish my homework!” A young shrill voice of a girl woke up a sleeping figure on the couch. She pouted when awoken figure looked at her with a confused look. _

_ “Ugh,” the woman groaned, she looked around and tried to find her phone. “What time is it? Was I asleep for long?” She rubbed the sleep off of her eyes and stretched her body to rid her of anymore drowsiness. _

_ “It’s a little past 4 o’clock. Unnie! Let’s watch Angel Beats now! I finished my homework, see?” the young girl held up a piece of paper that was filled with crudely written words, definitely a work of a child. The woman smiled at the girl and patted her head. She took the paper and examined it for any mistakes and then she cooed at the girl, pinching her cheeks and pulling her closer for a hug. _

_ “Looks like you got everything here right. Ok, as promised we can watch this anime you want buuuuuut…”, she trailed off. The girl looked at her with a puzzled look. She was then pushed away and her sister pinched her own nose. “But you have to take a shower first, you stink!” _

_ The girl glared at her. “I do not!” _

_ The woman just smiled, “If you go take a shower now, I’ll get the popcorn ready so we can have a marathon!” And it seemed like it was the - _

  
  


The sunlight glaring from the window woke up Sooyoung from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open and she took notice of the figure that was sleeping beside her. Her gaze drifted to her face, the way her eyes were closed peacefully, her cheeks were tainted pink likely from the cold (or the alcohol they consumed the night before), her button nose that scrunched up every now and then, and finally to the stray hairs that framed her face.

She lifted her hand and brushed away some stray frays, with fingers lingering more than they should. Her trance was cut off shortly when the owner of said face shifted herself in her sleep. Sooyoung's hand was quickly withdrawn and her eyes quickly darted up to the other’s eyes when finally everything clicked to her.

She was not in her bed.

She was not in her house.

She was sharing a bed with someone.

_ "Oh no." _

She quickly and silently darted up from the bed and silently thanked god that she was still wearing her clothes.  _ “Thank god, she’s a heavy sleeper,”  _ Sooyoung thought as she glanced back at the petite woman still in bed. She silently gathered her things and left. The glass of water and the pair of Advils sat on the bedside table wistfully ignored.

Seungwan woke up a bit while later, a bit colder, and a bit sadder.

\-----

The repetitive sound of a clicking pen filled the nurse’s station of the Emergency Room. It drowned out the ambient noise of the air conditioning unit that usually fills the silence of the room. Seungwan was not in a good mood and her coworkers definitely felt it. Her legs didn’t stop bouncing and the patient’s form that she was supposed to fill out was blank. Her brows furrowed forward and she wore a distasteful look on her face.

“She’s definitely annoyed,” Jungeun whispered to her fellow nurse. “Do you know what happened?” 

Jinsoul shrugged, “No clue. She keeps checking on her phone though. You should ask her.” She ushered Jungeun forward but she did not relent. She raised her eyebrow at that. “Are you not curious?”

“I am! But I don’t think she wants to talk right now,” she eyed the petite nurse and sighed. They were Seungwan’s seniors, albeit being younger than her, when she first started here and this was the first time they saw her like this. Who wouldn’t be curious about that?

“Wannie~”, all three heads snapped to the direction of the voice.

“Yes, Dr. Kang?” Seungwan asked, dropping the pen and standing up from her seat evidently surprised by her voice.

“I’ll need the form of the patient in Bed 4. Go and run a Complete Blood Count and an X-ray. Call the Surgery department and get an Operating Room ready by tomorrow. Also stop being formal with me, just call me Seulgi.”

“Got it,” she replied noting the things needed to be done. She searched the desk for the patient’s form and handed it over to Seulgi.

She scanned the document before her and turned to the nurse, “Thanks. By the way, get that rainy cloud out of your head, it’s been following you around since I saw you this morning.” She smiled and put a hand on Seungwan’s head. “Director Bae wants to see you at the earliest you are able.”

“... Got it,” she replied a bit miffed at the action. Seulgi just smiled and left the station. Seungwan stood there for a bit. She sighed deeply before gathering the necessary materials for the things she needed to do.

\------

“Congrats. You are being reassigned.”   
  
“Pardon?” Seungwan asked, not sure if she heard the director correctly.

“You were a pediatric nurse before coming to this hospital right? We had an opening there so you can finally transfer there,” the director said while looking at Seungwan’s portfolio.

“But what about my post here, in the ER? Won’t the guys here feel overburdened if I suddenly left?” She was worried because ER nurses already have it hard when it came to patients, what more if they were understaffed?

The director chuckled, “You are such a worrywart. Don’t worry, we have some new hires incoming from a topnotch university hospital. The director there wanted the newbloods to have some more experience. Besides, you were one of the best pediatric nurses back at your old hospital so this is a win-win for everyone. You can start at the Pediatric ward next week.”

Seungwan nodded. “Thank you, Director Bae. For this opportunity,” she bowed her head in respect.

“Ahhhhh no no bowing. I hate being treated like an old fart. I am still in my 30’s for god’s sake,” the director whined. Seungwan thought it was cute. “Anyways, use this week to say goodbye to your colleagues in the ER.”

“Yes, I will!” With that, Seungwan bowed again before leaving the room.

“Ugh, I just said no bowing,” the director said, a bit annoyed. She picked up a folder and opened it. “Son Seungwan, pediatric nurse from Daedong Hospital, huh.”

\-----

It has been a few days since Sooyoung last saw Seungwan. She didn't have the heart to go and see her nor to talk to her. She avoided the park ever since that day and left half-hearted responses to all of Seungwan's messages. She splashed the cold tap water to her face to wake herself up. Her break will soon be over and she has to man the counter again. Thinking about the next few hours gave her a headache. She quickly downed two pills of painkillers with a glass of water and went out of the break room.

\-----

_ One hour left. _

She stared at her wristwatch and continued cleaning the counter. Her shift would be ending soon and she wanted to go home to get some shut eye. The daily toils of work and life have taken a beating to her and tomorrow would’ve been her first day off in weeks. She could hardly wait for the inviting warmth of her sheets back at home.

_ Fifty minutes left. _

“Thank you for your patronage. Please come again,” bowing down to the group as they left the cafe. She bussed the table that the customers recently vacated. She gathered all the plates and silverware in her tray for washing while throwing away the cups and other disposables.

_ Forty minutes left. _

She pursed her lips as she wiped down the cappuccino machine, careful not to damage the expensive appliance. Satisfied with her work, she began to dry the recently washed cups, plates, and cutlery. She arranged the dried off equipment in the racks near the wash area.

_ Thirty minutes left. _

Sooyoung bent down and grabbed the remaining slices of cakes and pastries in the chiller and replaced them with a fresh batch. She carefully replaced the labels and filled the replacement sheet with the current date and time.

_ Twenty minutes left. _

She wiped off a bead of sweat racing down her cheek as she brought up a bag of coffee beans from the storage to the kitchen. She carefully opened the pack with a pair of scissors, admiring the fresh coffee aroma that aroused from within. She set them aside while she cleaned out the coffee bean jar, emptying out the remaining contents, washing, and drying the jar itself. She then poured the beans on the jar, finally sealing it off. 

_ Ten minutes left. _

Sooyoung leaned on the counter, drumming her fingers to the beat of the clock as she counted down the rest of her shift. The bell of the front door rang and interrupted Sooyoung from her countdown. She was making an inventory of the remaining ingredients when the customer approached the counter.

"Hello! Welcome! What can I do for you to...day…" Sooyoung trailed off, staring at the customer —or rather customers— that appeared before her.

"Hi there! My coworkers wanted coffee... “

Sooyoung pursed her lips. She knew one way or another that she would meet her again. She put on her professional face and took her order.

"What will be your order?" She said while maintaining a smile.

"Go on guys,” she motioned the free table to her two companions. “Take a seat and I’ll order for us.” The two nonchalantly went over to a free table and got themselves comfortable, waiting for their orders.

Seungwan returned her attention to Sooyoung and put on a small smile. “Two iced macchiatos, one iced americano, and one iced cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso. Can I also get four sticks of honey as well? All of them will be to-go, thanks."

"No problem,” Sooyoung said as she rang up her order on the register. Once done, she smiled to Seungwan, “I'll get on it right away. You can sit down while I make your order."

Seungwan took her up on the offer but instead of seating with her companions, she sat down on one of the stools by the counter. She watched as Sooyoung completed her order.

"The total will be 20.67. Will that be all?"

"Yes, please." Seungwan handed the money along with a sizable tip. "Thanks," she said while getting the coffee.

Sooyoung received the payment and put the money on the register then pocketing the tip. She eyed Seungwan as she went over to her coworkers, they were having a small chat from what she observed. She paid them no mind as she went about her business packing up her things. She never saw the pair of eyes that gaze from afar.

_ Zero minutes left. _

With that, Sooyoung's shift ended and she went to the back and called her coworker that was supposed to replace her. She changed out of her work clothes and went home.

\-----

Or so she thought. She closed the door that was used by employees and stared at the woman before her.

“Hi…” Seungwan waved, albeit awkwardly, to Sooyoung. “I saw you pack up your things so I thought your shift would’ve ended so I waited for you here.”   
  
Sooyoung eyed the shorter woman before her, “What about your coworkers?” She asked but she didn’t wait for an answer and started walking away. “Nevermind, I should leave. I still have things to do.” Her pace quickened.   
  
“Why were you ignoring me?”   
  
Sooyoung stopped in her tracks, hands clutching her duffel bag tightly. She faced the shorter woman and eyed her. Her hands were clenched tightly and her lips were trembling. Her mind was a jumbled mess of words. She was about to speak up when the other beat her to it.   
  
“Was it something I did?” She asked her. Sooyoung stared at her wide-eyed, bewildered at the statement. “I’ve been trying to wrap my head around it for the past two weeks. And I-”   
  
“You,” Sooyoung interrupted, albeit a bit hesitant. “You did nothing wrong. I am sorry.”   
  
“Then, why?” Seungwan asked. Her eyes looked at Sooyoung, trying to find answers. Sooyoung pursed her lips and when her eyes met with Seungwan, her resolve faltered and refused to look at her.  _ Pain and confusion. _ It was barely a second but her eyes showed pain and confusion. Sooyoung sighed. A pair of warm hands engulfed one of her own. “If you are not ready to talk to me, then fine. I’ll wait. But please, don’t push me away. That’s all I’ll ever ask,” Seungwan said.

“We’ll talk. I’ll explain everything… when I am ready. I am sorry for leaving you like that.” Sooyoung looked at her again.  _ Relief and fondness _ . Seungwan smiled and released her hands. Sooyoung realized she liked it whenever she smiled. 

\-----

“I heard you’re being reassigned, Seungwan,” Jungeun said to the petite nurse. “I wish I get reassigned out of ER as well. It gets a bit hectic here sometimes. We’ll miss you.”   
  
“You’re one of the best ER nurses out there. You only have your competence to blame for being stuck here,” Seungwan replied with a hearty laugh. She eyed her coworker and she pouted in response.

“Nurse Kim Jungeun, the top of her class. Finished as the Class Valedictorian. Rose up the ranks in the hospital when she was assigned in Emergency Care. Became the Chief Nurse for the ER despite being the youngest out of all the Chief Nurses in other departments,” Jinsoul said. “But still can’t tell her childhood friend she likes them.” 

“Shut up, Jinsoul,” Jungeun lightly punched her in jest. She can’t deny it when the whole world knows of it.  _ Except her.  _ She brooded on her chair and pouted.

“We’ll leave little Miss Pining over here. When will you be starting, Seungwan?” Jinsoul asked her. Jungeun perked up to this and looked at her as well.

Seunwan counted on her fingers before replying, “Director Bae said I’ll start next week, Monday. So I’ll have 2 more days here, and 1 day off before I’ll start.” Her other two coworkers nodded in response but a loud voice interrupted them.

“Wannie~”

“Yes, Dr. Kang?”

Seulgi pouted again and eyed her. “I mean, Dr. Seulgi?” She smiled at that and replied, “I heard I’ll lose my favorite nurse to the Pediatric Department. Won’t you stay? Please? For me?” Seulgi tried to use her puppy eyes on Seungwan. She just laughed it off and headed to the table.

“It’s the Director’s orders. I can’t actually go against that,” she took one of the coffee cups on the table and gave it to Seulgi. “Besides, you’ll get a new batch here. It’s gonna be a lot more crowded here. You’ll barely notice that I’m gone with you training them.”

“But I want you here…” Seulgi pouted but nonetheless accepted the coffee. “Iced cappuccino? Where’s my -,”

“Four sticks of honey, yes, yes. I remember your favorite. I can’t fathom how you can stand all of that sugar,” Seungwan interrupted her and gave her what she wanted. Seulgi gleamed at the four sticks of honey and carefully opened the first stick.

“Coffee is kinda like life. It’s bitter and harsh. But you know, if you surround yourself with people you love and wait a while, it gets sweeter and warm. Kinda like honey,” Seulgi smiled while stirred in the 4th stick of honey. Seungwan agreed with her but she knows the doctor just had a sweet tooth she can’t control.

“Soullie~ get the charts for the patient in Bed 5, and get me a blood sample for them again,” Seulgi said. “Jungeun, go with her. Wannie, I want you to get the medicines of the patient in Bed 4 from the stockroom. I don’t know if they have it restocked but if not, make a note to the admin to restock it.” The trio of nurses nodded their heads in confirmation.

“Also, all of you get ready for Saturday. We’ll have a send-off party for our Wannie here,” Seulgi smiled warmly at her. “It’s my treat!”

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was in my drafts for so long
> 
> It was kinda hard to continue cuz I suck at conversations
> 
> I think the only way to improve is to publish this and get on with it
> 
> I am so excited for the next chapters now that I have finished this one
> 
> Anyways follow me on twitter @revelonce_

**Author's Note:**

> This was in my AFF account, so I will move it here instead.


End file.
